The life of a cupcake is a very exciting one, up until of course the moment when it is devoured and savored. The first question you have to ask yourself is, what flavor do you want. For me it is all about the moment. I am somewhat partial to the chocolate cupcake, but a vanilla cupcake can also be very satisfying. Playing around with flavors, and finding out that a cupcake can really be more than what we have ever known it to be,to me is, mind blowing!! Chocolate and Vanilla are a thing of the past, and the sophisticated cupcake lover is all about the gourmet flavors.
With the Holidays just around the corner, forget about bringing the fruit cake that doesn't get eaten, and is dense enough to use as a door stop. Think of showing up at your family or friends dinners with a nice plate of sweet little cakes. I am a huge fan of anything chocolate mint, and there is nothing like chocolate and mint any day, let alone the Holidays. There is something about the two flavors together that just make me, HAPPY!! So a nice moist chocolate chunk cupcake with a mint icing, and crushed up candy cane pieces on top, are a perfect edition to any Holiday celebration.
If that doesn't tickle your fancy how's about, white chocolate and raspberry. Yet another two flavors that together are so amazing!! I mean chocolate itself is a wonderful thing. Dating back to the Mesoamerican civilazations where they made cacao drinks, to then Christopher Columbus introducing cocoa to Europe in the 1500's. And then finally in 1674 it was added to cakes and rolls. Once chefs around the world had a full understanding of the possibilities with chocolate, the whole world opened up. We associate chocolate with comfort, and there is no reason as to why we shouldn't be happy all the time. So if that means eating tons of it and trying different recipes with it, then so be it!
For those of you that don't like chocolate or maybe have the misfortune of being allergic to it. Then a great flavor combo is dried cranberry and either lemon or orange zest. These two flavors remind me of my Grandmother, and going to her house and having homemade biscuits that she had made. Sometimes flavored with these lovely ingredients. They were sometimes topped with a runny, gooey, sweet icing that had a hint of lemon or orange flavoring.
Once you have chosen your cupcake flavor, then the icing is what will make or break the whole deal. Like dressing yourself up when you go out, the accessories are what make the outfit. The same goes for a cupcake, and exactly what you use and how you decorate it define the cake and the experience you have when you enjoy it. After icing your cake and admiring your artwork, the only thing left is to take a huge bite. The kind that stretches your mouth muscles, trying to get the same ratio of cake to icing. MMMmmmmm.....so delicious! Time has stopped for the moment and as I savor this treat everything vanishes from my mind. All my worries and my quandaries don't exist, and I can't but hold onto the moment for as long as possible. It is then gone, a memory that is triggered by a smell, that in turn triggers the circle of Life of the Cupcake, all over again......
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